Fallout: New Vegas Walkthrough & Strategy Guide

There are a few places in particular you'll want to explore as you work your way through the ruins of Nipton. First and foremost, visit the trading post near the entrance to town. Within, you'll find a man named Boxcars (weird name, I know). Boxcars is sitting in a chair for a reason -- he's crippled. The Legion has busted his legs in, which was all part of their lottery. Basically, when the Legion arrives at a town, they destroy everything and then force people to pull lottery tickets to see how many will die, and how they will die. They've done everything to people, from burning them alive to beheading them to crucifying them. The man who ran out of town was the technical winner of the lottery, with Boxcars coming in second. Brutal! Keep in mind that you can give Boxcars lots of Med-X for good karma (which will allow him to overdose and escape the pain he's in). You can also explore the trading post itself for all sorts of items, including 10mm Rounds and some Bottle Caps. (Also, speaking with Boxcars will unlock the Side Quest known as Booted, should you be interested in undertaking it.)

If you head to the town's three-story town hall, you'll run into Vulpes Inculta, an officer in the Legion. He'll spare your life for now (as long as you don't attack him or his friends), telling you to tell everyone what you saw here, including the NCR itself (which will unlock the Side Quest known as Cold, Cold Heart). No matter what you say to Vulpes, the Legion won't attack you here if you don't attack first. So that's good, anyway. Once the conversation with him has run its course, go ahead and explore the town hall. You'll be attacked immediately by Legion Mongrels when you do (which are the Legion's canines). Fend them off as you walk around the first floor. You'll find some interesting stuff when you do, including a Worn Key which can be used to access curative items in the basement.

The second and third floors of the town hall have more Legion Mongrels to do battle with, as well as more items to find. Most importantly, perhaps, are all of the items found within the mayor's office on the third floor. There, you can find a Big Book of Science, a couple of Programmer's Digests, Bobby Pins, Energy Cells, a Laser Pistol, some Turbo, Future Weapons Today Magazine, and more. And should you choose to explore the lesser houses in the rest of the town, you'll find random items, including plenty of foodstuffs, drinks, and even a Single Shotgun, a .357 Magnum, a Patriot's Cookbook and a Locksmith's Reader, if you're thorough. Should you need to sleep (to heal), plenty of houses in town also have beds for you to use. Just be aware that some of these houses are occupied by enemies, including Bark Scorpions and even a Mr. Gutsy Prototype!

When you're ready, it's time to push through Nipton towards our ultimate goal, which is a place called Novac. Novac is located northeast of Nipton, but to get there, you're going to have to follow the highway that leads eastward and then northward from Nipton. After a time of following this highway, you'll reach open wilderness that will allow you to press further north unabated. But first, you need to press eastward down this highway. Expect to find at least one rogue enemy to fight en route, as well as some mines to dodge. Otherwise, things will prove to be pretty uneventful in the early-going.